Some memorable lines in there.
"I enjoy arrogance in hi fi..."
"The Electrostatic vs. Dynamic argument is about as interesting as Solid State vs. Tubes, which is to say, not at all."
"...are not fast, since "fast" infers sped-up sound, exaggerated microdynamics, or trickery. Rather, they are unobtrusive..."
It's also the first in-depth comparison I recall reading comparing KGSS to a stock Stax amp, namely 717 in this case.
The article was interesting in discussing the Omega II's softening of midbass leading edges on some music material. I too notice my own system sounding like this: the bass is deep and powerful on some CDs that feature bass guitars, yet soft and underpowered in other CDs (that also feature bass guitars). Why do I hear such a large variation between CDs featuring bass guitars? When the deep bass is present, it's really enjoyable, as Carlo writes, "Rich and full of impact, there seemed to be no limit to their extension..." But when the bass guitar sounds soft, it perplexes me, having been habituated to the Omega II's deep bass and therefore expecting deep bass all the time. Yes, maybe the answer is that this is a transparent headphone, and the mixing guys must have gotten it wrong now and then. But I can tell you that the softened bass on some CDs is just as startling as the fullsome bass on other CDs. Startling because the softened bass comes across as being an unexpected anomaly rather than as being as the mixing guy's error (or intentional tonal balance), even if the latter is true.
But anyway, to get back on track: I enjoyed reading Carlo's well-written article.
